« | Deuteronomy 11 | » |
1 "You must love the LORD your God and obey all his requirements, decrees, regulations, and commands.
2 Keep in mind that I am not talking now to your children, who have never experienced the discipline of the LORD your God or seen his greatness and his strong hand and powerful arm.
3 They didn't see the miraculous signs and wonders he performed in Egypt against Pharaoh and all his land.
4 They didn't see what the LORD did to the armies of Egypt and to their horses and chariots-- how he drowned them in the Red Sea as they were chasing you. He destroyed them, and they have not recovered to this very day!
5 "Your children didn't see how the LORD cared for you in the wilderness until you arrived here.
6 They didn't see what he did to Dathan and Abiram (the sons of Eliab, a descendant of Reuben) when the earth opened its mouth in the Israelite camp and swallowed them, along with their households and tents and every living thing that belonged to them.
7 But you have seen the LORD perform all these mighty deeds with your own eyes!
8 "Therefore, be careful to obey every command I am giving you today, so you may have strength to go in and take over the land you are about to enter.
9 If you obey, you will enjoy a long life in the land the LORD swore to give to your ancestors and to you, their descendants-- a land flowing with milk and honey!
10 For the land you are about to enter and take over is not like the land of Egypt from which you came, where you planted your seed and made irrigation ditches with your foot as in a vegetable garden.
11 Rather, the land you will soon take over is a land of hills and valleys with plenty of rain--
12 a land that the LORD your God cares for. He watches over it through each season of the year!
13 "If you carefully obey all the commands I am giving you today, and if you love the LORD your God and serve him with all your heart and soul,
14 then he will send the rains in their proper seasons-- the early and late rains-- so you can bring in your harvests of grain, new wine, and olive oil.
15 He will give you lush pastureland for your livestock, and you yourselves will have all you want to eat.
16 "But be careful. Don't let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the LORD and serve and worship other gods.
17 If you do, the LORD's anger will burn against you. He will shut up the sky and hold back the rain, and the ground will fail to produce its harvests. Then you will quickly die in that good land the LORD is giving you.
18 "So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.
19 Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
20 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,
21 so that as long as the sky remains above the earth, you and your children may flourish in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors.
22 "Be careful to obey all these commands I am giving you. Show love to the LORD your God by walking in his ways and holding tightly to him.
23 Then the LORD will drive out all the nations ahead of you, though they are much greater and stronger than you, and you will take over their land.
24 Wherever you set foot, that land will be yours. Your frontiers will stretch from the wilderness in the south to Lebanon in the north, and from the Euphrates River in the east to the Mediterranean Sea in the west.
25 No one will be able to stand against you, for the LORD your God will cause the people to fear and dread you, as he promised, wherever you go in the whole land.
26 "Look, today I am giving you the choice between a blessing and a curse!
27 You will be blessed if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today.
28 But you will be cursed if you reject the commands of the LORD your God and turn away from him and worship gods you have not known before.
29 "When the LORD your God brings you into the land and helps you take possession of it, you must pronounce the blessing at Mount Gerizim and the curse at Mount Ebal.
30 (These two mountains are west of the Jordan River in the land of the Canaanites who live in the Jordan Valley, near the town of Gilgal, not far from the oaks of Moreh.)
31 For you are about to cross the Jordan River to take over the land the LORD your God is giving you. When you take that land and are living in it,
32 you must be careful to obey all the decrees and regulations I am giving you today.
The New Living Translation (NLT)
The New Living Translation (NLT) is a modern English translation of the Bible that aims to make the Scriptures accessible and engaging for contemporary readers. First published in 1996 by Tyndale House Publishers, the NLT was conceived as an effort to create a translation that combines both accuracy and readability. Unlike many other translations that focus on a word-for-word rendering of the original texts, the NLT employs a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, also known as dynamic equivalence. This approach prioritizes conveying the meaning and message of the original texts in a way that is natural and understandable in modern English.
One of the defining features of the NLT is its commitment to clarity and simplicity. The translators, a team of over 90 evangelical scholars, aimed to create a text that would be approachable for a wide audience, including those who may find traditional translations challenging to read. The NLT’s language is contemporary and conversational, making it particularly effective for public reading, teaching, and personal study. This emphasis on readability helps ensure that the profound messages of the Bible are easily grasped and retained by readers from various backgrounds and levels of biblical knowledge.
The NLT also incorporates a rich array of study aids designed to enhance the reader’s understanding of the biblical text. These include book introductions, footnotes, cross-references, and explanatory notes that provide historical, cultural, and theological context. These features are particularly useful for readers who seek a deeper comprehension of the Scriptures and their application to modern life. The translation also includes clear and concise headings that help guide readers through the narrative and thematic structure of each book, making it easier to follow and comprehend the overall message.
Despite its many strengths, the New Living Translation has faced some criticism, particularly from those who favor more literal translations. Critics argue that the dynamic equivalence approach, while making the text more readable, can sometimes result in a loss of the precise nuances and literary qualities of the original languages. Some scholars believe that certain theological concepts might be oversimplified in the process of making the text more accessible. Nevertheless, the NLT remains one of the most popular and widely used translations today, valued for its readability, clarity, and ability to convey the timeless truths of the Bible in a way that resonates with contemporary readers.